Electric dehydrator



April 7, 1925. 12,532,718

1 H. sHovER ELECTR C DEHYDRATOR Filed Oct. 20. .1927/ Cil Patented tpr.7, 1925.

nLnornrc nnnYnnaron-l Application filed October ZG, 1924. Serial No.744,841.

To all 'io/wm t may concer/ri."

Be it known that T, LAMAR H. Siiovnn, a citizen of the `United States,and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State oflVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Tmproveinents inElectric lehydrators and T do hereby declare that the following' is afull, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to an dehydrator. n

VIn certain types of devices such as candy jars, for instancehygroscopic disks are employed to take up the moisturein the normallyclosed jars and to thus prevent the candy from becoming sticky. rllhesedisks have to be dried at regular intervals so as to keep them in aneffective state.

Merchants are not equipped for the drying of these disks and frequentlyattempt to dry them in make-shift devices such as ordinary hot platesand other similar heating means' This results in defective drying, inburning the disks and is wholly uiisatisfactory. Further, due to thematerial trouble they have to go through to secure this drying theyfrequently put it olf until the candy becomes sticky and unsaleable.

Further, thev disks may not be in "good condition when newly furnished,as they may have been kept for a material time before furnishing them tothe merchant. Tt is, therefore, desirable that the-new disks bethoroughly dried beforethey are used.

This invention `is designed to supply the need manifest from thestatements above, and objects of such invention are to provide anelectric dehydrator for hygroscopic disks which is so constructed that afree flow of air is maintained to carry away the moisture from theheated disks, and which is so constructed that danger of burning thedisks or overheating them is wholly avoided.

Further objects are to provide an electric dehydrator which may beeconomically employed, and which may be used Without requiring theconstant attendance of an operator, and which is so constructed that itmay be maintained in a sanitary condition with the greatest ease.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through vthe dehydrator,such view corresponding to a section on the line 1 1 of Figure 2.

' electric Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2&2 ofFigure 1.

The dehydrator comprises a main chamber 1 preferably of cylindricalcontour which is provided with a transverse circular base 2 and theentire device is carried by means of of regularly spaced apertures 7 inits side walls adjacent its lower edge to permit free circulation ofheated air. These apertures 7 are spaced a slight distance upwardly fromthe bottoni of the container d. The purpose of this upward spacing is toprovide a basin like bottoni for the container which is devoid ofapertures and which will catch liquid which will drop from the disks inthe early stage of heating and will prevent such liquid from travelingdownwardly into contact with the heating element. A cover 8 is providedwith a beaded edge 9 whichv lits over the edge of the vessel et, asshown in Figure 1.

This cover is provided with a central aperture 10 and a strap handle ispositioned directly over and spans this aperture. This strap handleperforms the desirable function of a guard over the aperture 10 to thusprevent the inadvertent closing of the aperture by the placing of a pan'or other article thereover'.

The base 2 is provided with a central aperture which is surrounded by adepressed shoulder 12 (see Figure-1). Above the aperture a guard plate13 is positioned. as shown in Figure 1, and is rigidly secured to thebase 9. and spaced therefrom. This guard plate is provided with aplurality of apertures 1d- `in its side walls to' direct heated airlaterally therefrom.

Tt is to be noted from Figure 2 that the flange or depressed portion 12is provided with a series of notches 15 through which tongues 16projecting laterally forni a circular heater casing 17, vmay be passed.

After 4the tongues have been passed through the apertures 15 the heateris rotated -1 L 1 sliglitlv to the position shown in Figure 2 l1 ,ff L]Y so that rae tongues 16 restupon the flange 12 and thus retain vtheheater in position.. This heater casing 17 is provided. with a llOshouldered portion 18 and with a circular heating element 19 positionedwithin the casing and resting upon the shoulder. fr Central bolt 2Opasses through the heating element and through the base 21 ot theelectric heater, being retained in position by means et a nut as shown,and thus permitting interchange or renewal oi heating elements in asimple and easy manner.

A current controlled device 22 is carried within the base 21 or' theheater and is connected with the heating element 19 and is provided witha pair ot prongs 23 by means of which it may be readily connected withsupply mains. lt' intermittently opens and closes` the circuit andprevents continuous and unbroken liow of current.

Itis to be noted from Figure 2 that the heating` element 19 is providedwith. a pluralityr et apertures 24 spaced around its margin. @ne ofthese apertures is' shown in Figure 1.

Further, it is to be noted that the casing 17 ol the heater is pr videdwith regularly spacedV apertures Q5 in its vertical cylindrical walls.

In operation, the hygroscopic disks are piled in a spacedv manner withinthe container 4t and current is supplied the heater. The heated airIrises and passes outwardly through the aperture 10. Fresh air issupplied through theapertures in the heater casing andv passes upwardlyagainst the heater and through the apertures 2li therein. This heatodairis then deflect-ed by the guard plate 13 and passes through theapertures M--inv theJ cylindrical walls ot such guard plate and isdeflected: laterally.

tainer f1 and enters such container through the apertures 7 and comesdirectly into contact with the hygroscopic disks. There is, of course, acertain amount oiPA radiation from the guard plate 13 to the container4l but such guard plate preventsexce sive heat .from being; applied tothe container and therefore guards against burning ot1 any portion otthc charge of hygroscopic disks within the-container fl; and aids inmaintaining a unitormeven temperature within such Container oit such adegree as will prevent burning et. the disks while at the same timepermit-ting a very tree circulation ot heated air to carry away themoisture laden air within the container.

t is to be noted that the automatic circuit making and braking device Q2permits the heater to operate at any desired temperature 'for it isobvious that theadjustment ot the circuit maker and braker may be suchas t-o g've the enact relation between the duration of the heatingperiod to the open circuit period in a well known manner.

lt will thus bessen that an electric dchydrator has been provided whichcan be economically used by small dealers although,

Vllhe heatedY air then passes across the bottom et the con-y avis it'desired, it may obviously be made in large sizes, and which will operatein an et- `lective inanner'to adequately and rapidly dry hygroscopicdisks without any danger whatsoever oit'burning them.

lt will further be seen that the device may be kopt in a sanitarycondition and may be readily washed when desired a tue heater may bebodily detached troni the remaining portions ot the apparatus andtherefore suoli apparatus may be scalded or v-:ashed as needed.

Although the invention has been described in coi'isiderable detail, itis to be understood that the invention may be variously embodied and is,therefore, to lie-limited only as claimed.

l claim:

1. A dehydrator for hygrosoopic disks comprising a main vessel having atransverse bottom plate, a heater removably carried by said bot-tomplate, and adapted to supply a current of heated air to said vessel, acontainer removably seated within said vessel and spaced 'from thebottom thereof, said container having a plurality ot regularly spacedapertures adjacent its lower portion, and a cover for said containerprovided with an outlet aperture therein. v

2. A dehydrator for h vgroscopic disks comprising a main vessel having atransverse bottom plate, a heater removably carricd by said bottom plateand adapted to supply a current oi heated air to said ves sel, acontainer removably seated within said vessel and spaced from the bottomthereof, said container having a plurality et regularly spaced aperturesadjacent its lower portion, and a cover for said container provided withan outlet aperture therein, said cover having a strap like handlepositioned transversely ot said outlet aperture and acting as a guardfor such aperture.

3. Ain electric dehydrator comprising a main vessel having verticalwalls and transverse centrally apertured bottom, said bottom having acircular flange surrounding said aperture, an electric heater hav ingportions cooperating' with said flange to detachably retain said heaterin position and having apertures therethrough to permit tree flow ofheated air into said vessel, a guard plate positioned above said heaterand spaced 'from the bottom o'j said vessel, a container ren'iovablycarried bv said vessel and having a plurality et apertures through itsside walls adjacnt 'the bottoni ther/eet, and an aperturod roven4 forsaid container.

s. [in electric dchydrator lior hygroscopic disks comprising a main i.d. having vertical side walls and a centrally apertured transversebottoni, said bottom having a llii notched circular lange surroundingsaid aperture and having a guard plate spaced above said aperture, anelectric heater' comprising a casing having outwardly projecting lugsadapted to be passed through the notches in said flange and to be seatedupon such flange, a heating element removably carried Within saidcasing, said casing and heating element having apertures therethroughfor the free passage of air upwardly into said vessel, a container forthe hygroscopic disks removably positioned Within the vessel and carriedfrom the vertical Walls thereof, said container having a plurality ofregularly 'spaced apertures in 15 its side Walls adjacent the bottomthereof,

and an apertured cover for said container. In testimony that I claim theforegoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee,

in the county of Milwaukee and State of 20 YWisconsin.

f LAMAR H. SHOVER.

